Hi, I'm Ian. I design products & design systems, and ship the code.
UX/UI designer and front-end developer in Kansas City. I design web and app pages in Figma, help maintain a production design system, and build in React, so the thing you approve is the thing that ships.
A few projects, written up properly.
What the problem was, what I tried, and where I'd do it differently next time.
4 projects
Kansas City
based & available remote
Twelve years in, still fixing the small stuff.
I started designing at 13, freelancing from the start: mostly social graphics for esports orgs and influencers. I never really stopped. Getting paid for that as a teenager taught me to work fast and hit a deadline, which turned out to be most of the job.
In 2022 it became full-time. I was hired for graphic and motion design, and after two years moved into UX/UI and front-end. Now I design web and app pages for an online learning platform, help maintain the design system behind them, and build those pages in React, working in sprints alongside our programmers.
I like to settle what a screen has to do before deciding how it looks. Because I also write the front-end, I find out early whether a design will survive the build, not at handoff. I use AI where it saves time, like first-pass layouts and boilerplate code, and keep the decisions for myself. Most of my time goes into details nobody is supposed to notice.
- Years designing
- 12+
- Years on an in-house product team
- 4
- Age I took my first paid client
- 13
Where I've worked.
The short version. Grab the résumé if you want dates and detail.
UX/UI Designer & Front-End Developer · International Academy of Science
2022 – Present
United States
Joined doing graphic and motion design, and after two years moved into UX/UI and front-end development. I design web and app pages for Acellus, an online learning program, help maintain its design system, and build those designs into shippable pages in code.
- Design web and app pages for Acellus, an online learning platform.
- Helped create, and help maintain, the design system that keeps the product consistent, working in Figma and with Claude.
- Build designs into shippable pages with React, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS, and TanStack.
- Work in sprints alongside the programming team, planning and shipping work through GitLab.
- Spent the first two years on graphic and motion design before moving into UX/UI.
Creative Director · Noxious Gaming
1 year
Remote
Led creative direction for an esports organization, setting the visual identity and producing social and brand designs across the org.
- Directed the visual identity and creative output for the organization.
- Produced social media and brand designs for players and the org.
Graphic Designer · Buzzkill Esports
6 months
Remote
Social graphics and brand assets on a matchday schedule: announcements, results, and player content, on the turnaround a live season demands.
- Made matchday graphics, roster announcements, and results posts.
- Kept the org's look consistent while working within its existing brand.
Graphic Designer · Animosity Esports
6 months
Remote
Social and brand design for the org, working to a weekly content calendar.
- Made social designs and matchday graphics on a weekly turnaround.
Freelance Designer · Self-employed
2014 – 2022
Remote
Started freelancing at 13, producing social media designs for esports organizations and influencers. This is where the brand and design work began.
- Built a client base of esports orgs and influencers as a teenager.
- Specialized in social media designs and brand assets across multiple organizations.
Education & certifications
Self-taught on the design side. The security track is deliberate: I write the front-end, so knowing how forms, headers, and dependencies actually get attacked is part of the job.
- Self-taught Designer – 12+ years
- Graphic & UX/UI design · Since 2014
- Coursera coursework
- Foundations of Cybersecurity; Manage Security Risks; Networks and Network Security; Linux and SQL; Assets, Threats, and Vulnerabilities · 2025
What I work with.
Product interfaces, the systems behind them, and the code that ships them, with brand work where it all started.
UX/UI Design
Screens that don't need a tutorial.
- UI Design
- User Flows
- Interaction Design
- Prototyping
- Accessibility (WCAG 2.2)
Design Systems
One source of truth, in Figma and in code.
- Design Tokens
- Component Libraries
- Theming
- Documentation
Front-End
Shipping design in code.
- React
- TypeScript
- Tailwind CSS
- TanStack
Brand & Graphic Design
Where it all started.
- Brand Identity
- Logo Design
- Motion Design
- Typography
Hiring for a UX/UI role?
I'm looking for a UX/UI or product design role where I can design and help build. Send a note about the role or the team and I'll usually reply within a day or two.